Swiftly the Heart Falters
by Inked4Life
Summary: So what if Sookie was not the object of Eric's desires? What if there was someone else...another vampire? And what happens when another woman comes in the picture who wants Eric all to herself, no matter what? Eric/OC
1. Chapter 1

Swiftly the Heart Falters

Chapter One

Prologue

Paris, France abt. 1765

The cobbled streets of Paris were awash in torch light. An angry mob had gathered in the city streets, intent upon finding the murderer of the daughter of Bessette. The Viscount had managed to secure the help of many of the other Noble families in the area, the sons and fathers upon their horses, ready to take action. Sabers and pistols were among the deadliest of the weapons, while villagers had managed to grab hold of timber, shovels and axes. Few onlookers speculated a trial would be held. Swift justice would be met when the murderer was found and there was nothing anyone could do.

Viscount Bessette pulled on the reins of his bay and curtly ordered his horse to stand still. The horse seemed to understand the frenzy that was running through the veins of those around it. Bessette looked to his right, his good friend, Chavalier, frowning at the melee that was occurring.

"Nous ne pouvons pas attendre plus. Nous devons commencer la recherche avant qu'il ne soit trop avancé." Bessette cried and with a kick of his heels, he was off, galloping down a small alley way. Several others took off after him, calling to him to slow and wait for the others, but the father was possessed by grief and vengeance and could hear nothing. The sounds of the hounds could be heard in the distance, rushing off in the distance, hot on the trail of the killer. The hounds had been released earlier and now with the distance between the hounds and the men increasing, Bessette could not afford to lose another moment.

Bessette's tortured thoughts were of his precious daughter, and the way that they had found her broken, bloody body. She'd been in the gardens, though it was late, but she was prone to enjoy the smells of the flowering blossoms and would spend hours upon hours in there. They'd found her lifeless body near the fountain situated in the middle of the Conservatory. Her pale blue dress was in tatters and blood had stained the front of it. She had been so pale and blue that he remembered standing there still as if it were not a reality, just an illusion of the pale moon shining through the glass covered ceiling.

"Merde!" He cried out and pushed the horse faster as it raced for the outskirts of town. The path was taking them South and Bessette was sure the murderer was making his way towards the woods that lay not too far from the city. He needed to move quickly. If the murderer had made it already to the wooded area then the search would become harder and slow them down, ensuring the monster's escape. There would be no escape for the bastard that had snuffed out the very life of his only daughter, and he would spend his lifetime, if necessary, searching the man out.

* * *

The casket lay in the salon, two candelabras on either side, lighting the darkened room. Chairs had been positioned in front of the casket, though no one wanted to sit in the room for too long, no one except Girard Bessette. The grief of not finding the mad man who had cut short the life of his beautiful daughter was more than he could bear and he spent his waking moments slumped forward in the chair.

"m'lord, the men are hear to see to the burying of..." Girard Bessette set a searing gaze upon his footman, silencing the man. He left the room, and Girard rose to stand over the casket. Laying a hand on it, he clench his other hand into a tight fist.

"Rest in peace my dear child and may you be joined with your momma. She will be so happy to see the baby that she was not able to raise herself." Girard said, and placing a kiss upon the top of the casket, strode from the room.

Translations:

1. We can not expect more. We need to start looking before it is too late.

2. Damn!


	2. Chapter 2

Swiftly the Heart Falters

Chapter One

Shreveport, Louisiana

Present day

It was annoying really the great lengths one had to go through in order to travel these days, especially overseas. Customs, Visas, proper coffin transportation…it was enough to make Heloise never want to travel abroad again. Not that she had plans to do so anytime soon. She'd been…summoned. It had been years since last she saw him, though not her 'father', he certainly acted as such; probably because he felt a sense of duty after having killed her maker sometime in the early 19th century. So here she was in Louisiana and it may as well have been a Mexican prison for all she cared.

The Vampire hotel that she'd been set up with had certainly brightened her mood, but not completely. The amenities were definitely pleasing. She watched the man leave the room, a white gauze bandage over his neck. With dinner not over she walked to the closet and looked at the clothes hanging, trying to figure out what outfit would be best for her reunion. Decision made and a fast change and she was ready to go. Her brown hair had been piled on top her head in a messy but artful coif, a style she preferred, it showing off the pale green shade of her eyes the best. She was petite, standing just shy of what would be considered average height. Dressed in a black skirt and white skirt, she looked every bit as aristocratic as her blood lines pronounced. The daughter of a nobleman, she was not one to settle for second best.

"The car is out front, madam." A bellboy murmured to her as she stepped from the elevator and made her way to the front doors. It was night but the city was lit up brightly with the city lights. She nodded at the human boy and continued on her way. The car ride to Fangtasia was short thankfully, and the sight that she beheld when she slid from the car was one that had her smiling. The long line of humans vying for the opportunity to get into the club was a pleasant sight. She could remember a time when humans had been anything but hunters of their kind and now they were scrambling for attention. The tall woman standing at the canopied doorway of the club was someone Heloise knew and while fond of the woman, they rarely spent much time with each other.

"Pam, ma sœur, comment êtes-vous? S'il vous plaît dites-moi que votre père vous a été bien traiter." Heloise said. She still clung to her native tongue and would use it as often as she could, though she'd become fluent in most languages used in the World today, plus a few that weren't.

"Heloise, you look ravishing, as always. He's been expecting you. He had instructed them to bring you around earlier." Pam said, giving Heloise a head's up on the current mood she could expect.

"When is Eric ever really happy? There's always something that is not going his way." Heloise said and with a kiss to Pam's check, she walked past the line at the door and into the club. Her first impression was 'gaudy', but then it was themed around the illusion of the vampire world, so it was well suited. Humans and vampire were scattered all throughout the wide open floor plan, some sitting on plush red velvet chaises and other leaning against black walls. The music was loud and throbbing and girls dancing in various points of the club were offering titillating glances of their scantily clad bodies to those who watched them. She spotted Eric almost immediately. She smiled and chuckled to herself, seeing him seated in a throne with a perfect view of the whole establishment: a king reigning over his court.

She squared her shoulders and set off in the path leading to him. His eyes had locked on to her from the moment she had walked into the club and though the look was piercing, she didn't look away. When she finally reached the stage area that he was on, she lifted her eye and smiled at him.

"You called?" She said. He had been sitting there with his head resting on one hand, a bored expression on his face, but it didn't hide the real emotions he was dealing with. Anger was at the foreground for sure, the sharp look his eyes confirmed it for her.

"You are late, and I don't like to wait…for anyone." Eric said softly, almost with a bored cadence to his voice. Heloise rolled her eyes and bit her tongue to stop the nasty comment that she'd wanted to say. There was protocol and he was a Sheriff, she was merely a 'member of his family', as he had once told her. He was a smug bastard, she thought to herself. Eric rose from his seat and, with a glance at her to follow he headed to the back rooms for privacy.

She remembered the first time that she had seen him. She couldn't deny that he was attractive, no one could. But then he had opened his mouth and his arrogance had washed over, turning the warm feelings she once had into cold, empty feelings. With the death of her maker at his hands, she had been thrown into a severe depression, and he had claimed her as one of his family and told her that she now belonged to him. It has been shameful really, a Viking barbarian like him claiming her, a daughter born of noble French blood. She'd fought the new alliance, but in the end it had been futile, the Queen telling her that this was to be, that Vampire law dictated it.

So for the next hundred years of so, she'd done everything in her power to resist the demands of her new 'father', even going so far to hide out in Paris, hoping that being on a separate continent would be meaning enough to him that she was not interested in what he said or wanted. Of course, that backfired on her and now she was in America, back with him.

"You should really stop playing the spoiled brat and just accept the position that you are in." Eric finally said, after they entered into a small office. The door was shut and Heloise stood stiffly, refusing to let him anger her to the point of lashing out, it was what he wanted, she knew, and she would not cave in.

"Nothing to say? How about a hug and kiss for poppa?" He said, stretching his arms out wide. He smirked at her and when she didn't step into the 'warm' embrace he offered, he folded them across the black button up shirt he wore. Wore being a joke, as it was half unbuttoned, showing a wide expanse of white, very well defined chest.

"I am here, as you wanted. What exactly do you want from me?" Heloise finally said, turning her back and walking around the small space. There were a few paintings on the walls, a Monet being one that drew her attention as it had been her favorite artist.

"I want you here with me, as you should be. I can't protect you when you aren't here." Eric said. Heloise snorted and turned her attention back to Eric.

"Protect me? From what?" She asked. There was nothing to worry about now, with the acceptance of Vampires into social arms of the world, there was no need to hide in the shadows and be shut ins. Sure there where a few factions that still protested the rights that the governments across the globe were giving to vampires, but it was nothing that they hadn't dealt with before and she'd not…lived…as long as she had without learning a trick or two to ensure her survival.

"There will be no more discussion, I want your presence here, and so it shall be." Eric said, raising his voice slightly, but still it not more than a soft command.

"Well I am here. What I am supposed to do here is beyond me. I never liked America, to…archaic for my tastes." Heloise said, finally sitting down on in a chair facing the desk. Eric sighed, and pulled the desk chair back and folded his large frame into it.

"You will get used to it." He said. "Just give it a little…time." He said, smiling at his own little joke. Time. It's all a vampire had really. How much one had and how they used it was the question.

"I hear that business if going well for you here. Apparently the humans cannot get enough of this place." Heloise said, casting a doubtful look over her shoulder.

"It does well." Eric said.

"Well, it was lovely catching up with you, but I think I will take a walk around the city, take in the sites; play the good little tourist, oh wait, I mean relocated citizen." Heloise said, rising from the chair and smoothing down the fabric of her skirt. She turned and with her hand on the doorknob was about to leave when Eric was at her side, holding the door shut.

"I think that there's still plenty to discuss. Like when you will finally stand by my side as you should, darling."

Translations:

1. Pam, sister, how are you? Please tell me that your father has been treating you well.

**A/N: Short chapter, I know, but the first few chapters will be a bit on the short side, and eventually even out and become longer, I promise. Not really sure why I made them shorter, it just seemed to flow better to me this way, instead of popping in a bunch of line breaks. I hate seeing a lot of line breaks in my stories.**


	3. Chapter 3

Swiftly the Heart Falters

Chapter Two

Shreveport, Louisiana

Present Day

It infuriated her how he felt that he had to right to dictate what she did. Well, he did, but that was not exactly the point, how was it that even the 21st century, vampires were still very much stuck in the dark ages? She remembered the whole women liberation movement, and snidely entertained the notion of doing something along the same lines. She quickly threw that idea out of the window when she thought of how it might go over. Vampires, while furiously protective of their own, were still dead set (no pun intended) on keeping a strict hold on their laws.

How dare he assume that because of one blood frenzied moment, many, many years ago, he had some claim over her? It was the past and the past was best left just that – the past. It was foolish really, and the fact that, even now, he could not give it a rest, was exactly why Heloise had escaped the bonds that tied her to Eric. The escape had been momentary this time, but it certainly wasn't the first time she'd taken off for years at a time. She may have been raised in a time when women where submissive and taught from infancy that their place was silently at their husbands side, but that didn't mean that she agreed with it.

She stamped her foot and threw the empty bottle of True Blood across the room. It didn't have the same effect as a crystal glass but it would have to do. She angrily pulled the clip from her hair and after tossing it onto the vanity, she shook out her hair. No amount of bottle throwing or cursing the day that Eric had been made could take from that fact that he was forever to be a part of her existence, and that's what upset her more than anything else. She would never be able to break free of the bonds that held them together, but she sure as hell wasn't going to accept it gracefully.

Tomorrow she would be heading to a small town called Bon Temps so that she could see Bill and that was something good to look forward to. She cared deeply for Bill and was happy to hear that he was enjoying his life at his long ago home. She longed for a chance like that, but her family's estates had been passed down and on to distant members of the family who had in the end let the properties suffer and were no buried deep beneath the cement and stone of residential housing. It was a shame really, when she thought of the beautiful room in the family's main residence in the city of Paris, how it had once been, when she had been living. She could still remember the Conservatory, it being her favorite part of the home, the endless hours she had spent wandering around the foliage, thinking of what her life were to be like. Funny how those fantasies had been very far from the actual truth.

Marcus had charmed her with Glamour, seducing her, taking her innocence, and then one night he'd come to her and made her like him. She'd died in the gardens of her father's estate and her coffin had been buried there as well, with the exception of her body. Another corpse had been tossed in, almost as carelessly as if it were nothing more than a rag doll. She'd been amazed, unsure, and frightened, standing there in the funeral garb she'd been clothed in, watching as her maker concealed the events that were transpiring. She'd learned that there really were monsters out there, and she was now one of them. After spending many years with Marcus, draining the unsuspecting humans, and moving from place to place, Eric had caught up with them. Marcus had been dragged before a tribunal to be held accountable for making Heloise one of them. It was not something one could do on a whim, it had to be approved, and Marcus had gone against the wishes of his family and done what he wanted. His death by Eric had been ordered and Heloise watched in horror as her maker was shackled to a post and left to meet the morning sun.

Heloise shuddered and turned her mind from the memories of her past. It was a horrible, painful time in her life and it was something that she did not like to dwell on. With a sigh she went to the windows of her penthouse room, overlooking the cityscape. The sun would be rising in a few short hours, and soon the metal shutters would be lowered to ensure that no sunlight seeped into the room. She watched the street below, cars buzzing by, people walking about, and lights shining through various windows of close by buildings.

Life would continue on as it always had, even with the addition of the dead.

* * *

Heloise stopped her pouting when the car pulled up to the house that Bill was living in. It was a large sprawling manor, its construction a classic civil war era design. These houses always reminded her of the movie _Gone with the wind_. She half expected to see Scarlet standing on the porch, sipping a glass of tea. The house was still in the rebuilding phase, and it was clear that it had suffered damage over the years since Bill had first lived in the house. The smile on Heloise's face quickly vanished, when with a speed that he'd gained with age, Eric opened the car door, and bowed exaggeratedly on the side, waiting for her to get out. Heloise growled at him and pushed past him, making her way to front door. It was swept open and Bill's smiling face came into view. Heloise shouted with laughter with Bill picked her up and swirled her around.

"Héloïse, tu seras plus belle chaque année. Comment êtes-vous ma chère?" He asked, setting her down, and placing a finger under her chin to lift her face for better inspection.

"Je suis aussi bon que peut être, compte tenu de i était commandée ici par sa seigneurie. J'étais tellement profiter de Paris mais je suis heureux que je vous ai ici pour me garder sain d'esprit!" She replied.

"I can understand what you are saying, you realize." Eric said.

"I know." Heloise said, giving him a withering look and turning back to Bill with a million watt smile. Movement in the doorway caught her eye and she focused in on a woman about her height with bright blonde hair, wearing a white and red cherry sundress.

"Heloise, let me introduce you to Miss Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie, this is Heloise Bessette." Heloise smiled at Sookie and shook the hand that Sookie thrust in her direction.

"Oh my, Bill has been talking about you for a few days now, and he certainly did not do justice in describing you. You are so beautiful." Sookie gushed, and Heloise laughed.

"Well, thank you Sookie, and you certainly are as beautiful as Bill described to me. I think that maybe why he failed to describe me, he is too taken with you." Heloise said. Sookie smiled a toothy grin and blushed slightly at Heloise's words.

"Well come in to my humble abode." Bill said, wrapping her arm around his and his other arm on the small of Sookie's back. Heloise was charmed by the Southern hospitality that Bill had, it was something refreshing, since most of the men she was surrounded by where just an evolutionary step above a cave man.

The four of them sat in the living room and Bill and Heloise spent a majority of the time catching up with one another, sure they had been in contact with each other via the telephone and through correspondence, but it was always nice to talk face to face with someone you liked.

"Well enough about me, I feel terrible to occupying the conversation. Sookie, what an interesting name you have. Is it short for anything?" Heloise asked.

"Nope, just Sookie…" the conversation between Sookie and Heloise picked up and the men where soon left out, but Heloise felt a certain sense of joy knowing that Eric was sitting quietly, not speaking a single word, like he was not even there. Was she being a bit petty? Maybe.

Translations:

1. Heloise, you are more beautiful every year. How are you my dear?

2. I'm as good as I can be, considering I was led here by his lordship. I so enjoy Paris, but I am glad I have you here to keep me sane!

**A/N: yeah another short chapter but I am pretty sure that this will be the last short chapter. I am in the process of making the revisions to the next few chapters, so they will be posted soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

Swiftly the Heart Falters

Chapter Three

Bon Temps, Louisiana

Present Day

Heloise sat in a corner booth at Fangtasia, slowly sipping her lukewarm True Blood, scowling deeply at the activities happening around her. She'd been brought back to Shreveport, against her desires to stay with Bill for a short term, and was now told to make appearances at the club, to somehow add to the appeal. Whatever that meant, she was not sure, but she knew that there were plenty of younger vampires traipsing about in clothing that could be considered dental floss, and she was certainly not going to go there. She had little to offer the humans that came in the club. It was what they had to offer her that she was more interested in. Sure she had benefited from the deal, getting a steady supply of willing humans to offer up their jugulars for a quick drink of real blood, but other than that – what was the point?

Oh she was pretty sure she knew the point. Eric wanted to keep constant watch over her. If she had to grudgingly admit it, she would certainly agree that he was a handsome man. Tall, well defined body, that blonde hair and those eyes. It was all a wonderful exterior package, but it was in the inside that she loathed. The arrogance, controlling, egotistical bastard always seemed to say or do something that set her off. It was that physical attraction that had led to her succumbing to him so many years ago. She'd been in a frenzy; having gone without blood for far too long, as a sort of self-punishment to herself for the death of her beloved Marcus. He'd been there, and in her desperation, she'd bent to his demands. He was certainly a skilled lover, but then he'd had a thousand years to perfect that craft, hadn't he? That had been the first time she'd run from him. He'd let her stay away for some time, but in the end, he'd ordered her back-just as he had done now.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Where you looking for some company?" Heloise looked up the voice and met a pair of pale blue eyes. He was certainly a very good looking human. He was tall with black hair and a body that was fit and toned. Heloise patted the seat next to her. He smiled and sat down next to her.

"What's your name?" Heloise asked.

"Jordan. What's yours?"

"Heloise."

"Are you from London or something?" He asked. Heloise smiled and ran the tip of finger along his jawline. She felt the tremor roll through his body and she leaned closer.

"Paris." She replied, her mouth near his earlobe. "Don't be shy, Jordan, you can touch me too. Vampires do find pleasure in touch as well." She said when she noticed his hand poised, but he seemed unsure if he could touch her. He sighed and cupped her face, his thumb running along her lower lip. He jumped back slightly when her fangs popped down and then, intrigued, he moved his thumb back over her lips, running them along the jagged points of her fangs.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked breathlessly. Heloise nodded. The kiss was gentle at first, his tongue running along the seam of her lips, before her lips parted, allowing him access into her mouth. Their tongues rubbed gently across each other, while hands slowly slid along the surfaces of the others body. They kissed before Jordan slowly pulled back and leaned his head to the side, offering his neck to her. She nuzzled to fragrant scent of his neck before closing in on the desired location. Just as she was about to sink her fangs into the soft flesh, she happened to look up, a feeling someone was watching her too powerful to ignore. She usually like to feed in private, but well when in Rome…

Her eyes locked with Eric's. He was watching her intently, an unreadable expression on his face. With her still on his, she sunk through the layers of Jordan's flesh till she reached the vein and then began to fill her mouth with his deliciously warm and tasty blood. It was powerful, taking the blood of a human. You connected with that person, almost felt there emotions. It was also a completely arousing process for a vampire. The next best thing to sex really…maybe even better…?

Heloise was unsure what to make of Eric and the way he seemed to have straightened in his chair and the way his hands clenched the arms of his chair. Was he affected by this? It was a bit too confusing for her and she pulled back from Jordan's next. She licked his lips and then leaned forward she gently licked the two small puncture wounds on his neck. He was slow and sleepy from the blood loss. This wasn't the first bite of the evening. Heloise looked around the club and caught the eye of a vampire who was there to keep things in order.

"This young man needs a taxi, darling. Could you be a sweetheart and call one for him?" Heloise asked, after motioning the man closer. He nodded and went off in search of a phone.

"Wow." Jordan said, looking up at Heloise. "Are you…have you been around long?" He asked. Heloise smiled and nodded.

"Why don't you rest here and wait for you taxi. Make sure you eat before you go to bed." With that Heloise placed a small kiss on Jordan's lips and rose from the couch they'd been sharing. She brushed past him and headed towards the back room of the club, intent on finding some excuse to leave. She'd grown weary of being here, and just wanted to be alone.

"And where exactly are you running off to?" Heloise stopped short and turned to face Eric. With a roll of her eyes, she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Away." She stated simply, and turned to continue doing just that. She gasped when Eric grabbed her arm, and whirled her around into his solid wall of a chest.

"Why do you try my patience?" He asked. Heloise snorted out a laugh.

"You have patience? When did you acquire this skill? My, my how your pow-" She was cut off when Eric slammed his lips on to hers. It was the only way she could describe the way his lips landed on hers and began to ravage her mouth. She attempted to fight him off, but he was far more powerful than her, and his held her arms tightly behind her back, pushing her chest into his. She may be dead, but she was still able to feel things and she could not deny that having him attack her senses like this was very pleasurable.

She allowed herself to enjoy the kiss, even kissing him back, much to his satisfaction. The low growl of approval he made, made her smile against his mouth, and try harder to gain control of the kiss. He was certainly was good and she allowed herself to enjoy the way his tongue invaded her mouth and, in the end, gain control of the kiss. He held her arms with one powerful hand and with the other, he cupped her face, turning his head and angling the kiss for deeper penetration of her mouth. Heloise felt her cold body slowly begin to heat up and only when she began to entertain thoughts of continuing this in a more private area, did reality come crashing down on her like a bucket of cold water, dousing the passion that had momentarily halted her senses. She began to pull back from the kiss. Eric soon felt the lack of lust and pulled back, giving her a puzzled look.

"I told you that this would never happen again." Heloise said, breathlessly. It was amazing how even though they didn't need to breath, they could still manage to end up breathless sounding. She'd once been told it was their bodies inability to accept change, and that was why once in a while they would find themselves performing very human like functions.

"Yet, here we are." Eric said, smirking and raising an eyebrow. Heloise growled and began to pull harder against the bond his hand was causing on her arms. He held her there for a moment, letting her struggle to free herself, before he let go of her arms. Heloise brought her arms up in front of her, and rubbed the wrists that he'd gripped tightly. They didn't hurt, she didn't feel pain in the normal sense, as humans did, that is unless she was stabbed, or worse, but it was again, a human trait that was hard to get rid of.

"Call it a momentary lapse in judgment." Heloise said, and with a sniff and a raise of chin, she turned and walked out the back door, heading anywhere but there.

* * *

Eric stood there for several moments after Heloise had stormed out of the door, before smiling slowly and running his tongue over his lips, he turned and headed back into the club, a chuckle escaping his mouth.

"It always makes me nervous when I see that expression on your face. What did you do now?" Pam asked, appearing at his side. Eric peered at her and continued on his path to the bar.

"Hmm, nothing that wasn't wanted. What makes you think that it was something that I did?" Eric asked, leaning against the counter of the bar, in his usual relaxed stance, hands folded loosely in front of him. He feigned an innocent expression but it was not working on Pam, because she knew him too well to believe it.

"When is it not you?" She asked. She glanced to the side when a human walked by, staring at her in awe. She all but growled and he continued on his way. Eric laughed and looked behind him and the retreating back of the scared human.

"You really should be a bit nicer, these people are our customers; they pay us." Eric said. Pam rolled her eyes, and fixed him with a look.

"These people are merely here to appease their own selfish desires, and if they happen to spend a little money in order to get it, they will. They are all weak willed and they are all…weird." Pam finished, for lack of a better word.

"Weird?" Eric asked.

"Yes. I mean have you noticed the general theme of the people that come into this place? They are all those gothic types, as if that is what we are into, gothic dress and manner. Do they have any other impressions other than what silly movies feed to them?" Pam said, with a disgusted look on her face as she roved the crowd and took in the sea of black leather, chains, and fishnet stockings. Girls with heavy makeup and boys with green colored mohawks. It was almost an insult really, but then this was not her establishment alone, Eric was the controlling owner.

"Have you taken a moment to see what some of our fellow vampires wear? They too wear that garb. Missing the fashions of your mortal life?" Eric joked. Pam smiled and rolled her eyes.

"What's up, dudes?" Eric and Pam both turned to look at a young human who was standing there, a glazed look in his eyes. It was obvious he was high and the goofy look on his face was nothing compared to the goofy get up he was wearing. Safety pins pierced the skin of his eyebrows and the all black leather ensemble was a walking cliché.

"Did you guys know this place was, like, totally run by Fangers?" He asked, trying to strike a nonchalant stance, while holding a cigarette between shaky fingers. Eric and Pam exchanged glances.

"You don't say? Hey, did you see the wicked set up in the back? No, let me show ya." Eric said, nodding his head towards the back rooms before pushing off from the bar counter and leading the boy away. Pam watched with a raised eyebrow as they disappeared. So many advances, yet the humans still acted like this. It was a crying shame.

* * *

"So I was thinking that maybe you might want to meet up? We could hang out, go shopping, grab a bite to eat…wait, that wouldn't work out so well, but you know what I mean." Heloise listened to Sookie talk over the phone and smiled and the slip up. She'd been known to do a little shopping and grabbing a bite to eat, just not in the sense Sookie was thinking.

"That sounds like fun. When did you want to come up here?" Heloise asked. She was back in the hotel room that Eric had put her up in. She had an agent looking for a cozy little hideaway for her, and until that was purchased it was live here or with Eric, naturally she chose this location.

"Well I have tomorrow and the next day off. I know its short notice, but I thought it would be fun. I mean, you aren't busy, are ya?" Sookie asked.

"No, not busy at all, and it would fun. You can even stay here, if you would like." Heloise said. She sensed the hesitation on Sookie's end and smiled.

"I don't mess with things that are Bill's, chere, you are safe with me." Heloise said, to ease Sookie's mind. It was true though, she wouldn't be as callous as someone like…say…Eric. Damn, she really needed to stop thinking of him, and comparing things to what he would and wouldn't do. She was almost acting like a silly school girl with a crush on her teacher.

"That's great! I will head up there in the afternoon and get there just after dark and then we can hit the town!" Sookie said. They finalized the plans for tomorrow and after saying goodbye, Heloise hung up the phone. It had been a long time she had spent some time with a girl-friend, especially a human one. Sure she'd spent time with female vampires, but for entirely different reasons.

The phone conversation over, she was left to think and think of Eric and the kiss that they had shared in the hall way behind Fangtasia. Why had she not seen it coming? Why had she not fought harder? Sure he was much stronger, but she was no weakling herself. She could have at least tried a bit harder. She didn't like having unanswered questions popping up and when she was around Eric, there seemed to be endless barrage of them. Maybe that was another reason she chose to escape him as much as possible. One thing was certain, and that for whatever reason, she'd enjoyed that kiss, no matter how much it pained her to admit it.

* * *

Eric watched as the lifeless body of the human was dumped into a dark sedan. He'd given the orders to have the body disposed of, and two of his employees were currently doing just that. He'd taken no real pleasure in sucking the blood from the foolish kid, the blood tainted with an assortment of drugs that left his brain slightly foggy for a moment. It was more or less out of boredom, or because he had a lot of pent of aggression…sexual…left in his system from the run in with Heloise earlier. He couldn't get past the need to possess that creature, no matter what cost. Why she fought him was a mystery, any other female, vampire or human, would have submitted almost immediately. Perhaps it was the chase that spurred him, not being able to capture her attention with his wit and charm, hell even his looks, pushing him to try harder.

Movement from the side of the building caught his attention and not knowing what he heard, and hearing no more noise, he went to see what it had been. He stopped short when he rounded the corner. The woman leaning against the hood of his car was all too familiar with him and if his heard had been beating, it certainly would have tripped over itself. She was long and graceful, possessing a cat like quality to her, her long legs encased in skin tight jeans and a belly baring tank top covering her bountiful chest. Long red hair was flipped over her shoulder and her ruby red lips were positioned into a wide smile. He looked into the black almond shaped eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, Eric, long time, no see." She said, in a husky voice that oozed sex.

"Meredith."

**A/N: Another chapter, as promised, and it's also longer too! Ended it with a bit of a cliffy too! ;0) So I started a Wiki, thought that maybe my adoring readers would like to join it, we could talk about story ideas and what not. .com Please consider checking it out, maybe even joining it, so I don't look like a complete moron, posting threads just for myself!**

**~Inked4Life  
**


	5. Chapter 5

Swiftly the Heart Falter

Chapter 4

Shreveport, Louisiana

Present Day

"What about a pair of these?" Sookie held up a pair of faded, button up, low-rise jeans. Heloise frowned and shook her head.

"No. I don't wear pants." Heloise said, sorting through a rack of sale items. They were in one of the boutiques down town, one of the many stores that had changed its business hours to accommodate…late risers.

"Not at all? Is it a religious thing?" Sookie asked, folding the jeans back up and putting them on the display she'd grabbed them from. She walked over to Heloise was and started shifting through the hanging garments as well.

"No, it's just a fashion that I personal never quite liked on women. You have to remember that I lived in a time where women wore dresses and men wore pants. I guess you could say it's just something that I haven't been able to move past." Heloise said. Sookie shook her head, and thought about it for a moment.

"Well I just couldn't imagine not having a good pair of jeans to put on. I mean, I love wearing my dressed and shorts, but I do love to wear a good pair of jeans." She said.

They'd spent several hours roaming the downtown area of Shreveport, window shopping and chatting, getting to know each other a bit better. Heloise knew that she would have fun with Sookie, but she was still surprised at how much more enjoyable the excursion had turned out. They'd popped into this last store after seeing the big bright signs proclaiming a huge sale, saying it would be the last stop before they headed back to the hotel. Sookie had suggested watching movies or something, which Heloise thought was so…human.

It turned out though that they had a similar taste in most everything, from movies, to opinions on subjects, to preference on how things were to be done. It was nice to have someone that understood and liked the same things, and Heloise smiled thinking how almost normal her night with Sookie had turned out. Normal in the human sense, that is.

"Well I think I am gonna get this top, you find anything that you like?" Sookie asked. Heloise held up the items.

"Yes and let's get out of here, if I spend any more time looking, I'm sure I'll find something else that I really don't need." Heloise said, heading towards the cashier who was smiling a little too brightly at them.

Purchases in hand, they hoped into a taxi to take them to the hotel, where after arranging for some food to be delivered, they dumped their bags, changed into 'comfy clothes' as Sookie called it, which basically was there pajamas, and flopped onto the couch in the sitting room the penthouse room offered. The television was on and Sookie was surfing through the channel guide looking for some old movies to watch. Heloise was in the small kitchenette, warming a bottle of True Blood, when Sookie decided to pounce on her for some much needed gossip.

"So, and this is none of my business, but I was wondering, just what is the deal with you and Eric?" Sookie asked, having turned around on the couch, with her arms resting on the back of it. Heloise stopped watching the timer on the microwave count down and turned to look at her. She should have realized that this subject would be brought up at some time. She could only speculate at what Bill had told Sookie about their…arrangement.

"What do you mean, exactly?" Heloise said, busying herself by taking the bottle from the microwave when it beeped and giving it a vigorous shake.

"Well I mean…I pick up this vibe. I mean, I can't read you two like I can read humans, but I just pick up this like current of electricity from the both of you when you are around each other. It was really strong that night we first met." Sookie said. How best to handle this question? Should she tell Sookie that she was right, it was none of her business, or should she just tell her that it was nothing more than angry sparks of hatred that she was picking up, mostly likely because she was just that…angry with Eric? Taking a drink from the bottle, and moving over to sit on the couch, Heloise weighted her options.

"Well what do you know of the relationship that Eric and I have?" Heloise asked.

"Well, I mean, I know about how Eric was somewhat responsible for the death of your maker, and that he became your…guardian? Is that the right term? Bill told me that you two just never seem to meet eye to eye on things." Sookie explained, sitting crossed legged on the couch, facing Heloise.

"Well that's pretty much the basics, Bill was right there. I don't know how much more I can elaborate on it. What I feel for Eric is…well I don't like his mannerisms. He is far too controlling and cocky for his own good." Heloise said. Sookie nodded in agreement. "We've been…intimate once before." Heloise admitted. She didn't know why she told Sookie, she'd not told another living, or un-living, soul, but for she felt comfortable enough with Sookie, that it just came out.

"Really?" Sookie laughed, and then when Heloise frowned, she covered her mouth. "I knew it. I guess it's just hard to believe since you two are so different. " Sookie went on saying, trying to make amends for laughing at Heloise's admission. Heloise held up her hand to stop her.

"Trust me, there is a huge difference between us, and it was a very weak moment for me. It was something that I have been dreading ever since it happened." Not exactly the truth, but there was only so much that Heloise was willing to admit to Sookie. There were still something that she wanted to keep private, and the conflicting emotions she had for Eric were certainly at the top of that list.

* * *

Eric was in a foul mood and Pam was sure that she would have killed him if he weren't already so. He was lashing out at everyone and his usual expressionless face was tight with rage. She'd considered leaving him alone and letting him deal with it himself, but then that wouldn't be very fun for her.

"So what's your problem today?" Pam finally asked him, when she had found him in the office. He was staring down at the accounting books, pretending to look them over, but she knew better. He arched an eyebrow and fixed a steely gaze at her. It would have worked on anyone else, but she wasn't anyone else.

"Leave me alone." He said, when it was clear that she was not going to leave. Pam cocked her head to the side and put her hands on her hips. Eric sighed and then crossed his arms against his chest and leaned back in the chair.

"Meredith is in town." Pam swore and sank down in the chair facing the desk.

"What the hell does that bitch want?" Pam spat out. She knew Meredith well, and knew that with her in town, there was certain to be trouble. It was only to be expected from a witch like her. Witch being exactly what she was. And she was not Glenda the good witch from _The Wizard of Oz_, and she made the bad witch look like a Girl Scout. The last run in with Meredith had been close to 100 years ago, in London.

"She did not say, but one can only guess that she's come back to try to win over my affections." Eric said, barely concealing the disgust in his voice. Pam ran a hand through her brown hair, and shook her head.

"The last time she was around, she made a huge mess. One that almost got you killed. We can't have this around us now. And why is she showing up now? I thought that the last time we saw her, it was just that, the last time." Pam said. Eric shrugged.

"I don't know. She didn't tell me what exactly she had planned while in town. She mentioned she was passing through, thought she would check out the place we had. I told her she'd seen it, she could leave."

"You sure do have a knack for attracting some real winners." Pam said, and ignored the growl that Eric made at her flippant comment. It was true though, only he would get some crazy witch to become obsessed with him. _Fatal Attraction_ popped into her head. If only it were that simple really.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Pam asked.

"We run as normal, but I want everyone on watch, if she comes to this place, I want to know immediately. We also need to make sure that she doesn't find out where we are sleeping…like last time." Eric said, and Pam grimly agreed with him.

* * *

"I had the best time ever, Heloise! We should do this again. Maybe after you get your own place?" Sookie said, standing next to her car. She was getting ready to head back to Bon Temps and Heloise was sad to see her leave. It had been so much fun.

"Of course!" Heloise said, pulling Sookie into an embrace. She kissed Sookie on each cheek and smiled at her. "Drive safely." She said, and waved as Sookie pulled off.

"Enjoy your slumber party?" Heloise turned and smiled at Pam.

"It was actually very fun. So what brings you over here?" Heloise asked. Pam held out a set of keys.

"Keys to your new place." Heloise frowned and looked at the set of keys that Pam dropped into her outstretched hand. Why was she giving her the keys, why had the realtor not stopped by?

"Did you run into the realtor?" Heloise asked. Pam frowned.

"What do you mean? Eric found the place for you." She said. Heloise closed her eyes, and tried to push down the bubble of anger that threatened to escape her. Eric! She should have guessed. So because he was 'looking after her', he had to take care of everything for her? Was she some simpleton who could do nothing? Not bothering to call a taxi, Heloise took off at vampire speed in the direction of Fangtasia. She found him, sitting his is normal spot, surveying his domain. She stopped in front of him, and was slightly annoyed that he did not seem the least bit surprised to see her there. She threw the keys at him and then put her hands on her hips, watching as he easily caught them in midair.

"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded.

"These are called keys. They are used to unlock things. These look like the keys for your new home." He said casually, extending his hand to return the keys to her. She ignored his hand and glared at him.

"I know what those are, you ass, I mean, why have you done this? Why have you gone behind me and arranged for my place? I am perfectly capable of doing that myself, in fact I was in the process of doing it." Heloise said. Eric waved off her comments with his hand.

"Yes I know you were doing that, but I didn't like the realtor you chose, so I had my guy take care of it. I take care of mine." Eric added for that extra sting. Heloise leaped up on the stage and resting her hands on either arms rest, she leaned in closely to him.

"Let's get this straight for the last time. While you may think that I am yours, you are mistaken. I am not yours in the sense you suggest. There is no us, other than the protection that you afford me as the Sheriff of this area and as the person that appointed himself my guardian, which was, by the way, completely unnecessary." Heloise said. Eric remained cool under her scathing remarks and when she finished, he leaned closer himself, their noses almost touching, making Heloise inch back.

"No, let's get this straight. I am responsible for you, and I will do things like this, because of that responsibility, and as for an 'us', I think we know that there is more there than you are willing to admit. So you will accept what I have done, and you will thank me for it. I will take a simple spoke thank you, but if you find you want to thank me in other ways, well I certainly won't stop you." He said. Heloise barely silenced the growl that stuck in the back of her throat. The nerve of this man, and the assumptions he made were enough to drive her insane. Did he not listen to anything? Did he do and say as he wanted, without a thought to the wants of others? The answer was perfectly clear. Yes. She snatched the keys from his hand and straightened to her full height.

"Fuck you." And with that she turned and stalked off.

"Well that went well. Next time, let me know what you do something like this and I will remind you that it's probably not the smartest thing to do." Pam said, materializing at his side. Eric could only sit there smiling. It wasn't how he has exactly planned, but in his mind, it was certainly something.

**A/N: Well got this next chapter posted quicker than I thought, not that any of you are probably complaining! I hope you are all enjoying this story, and would love for you to leave some reviews, I see you all reading! Are you too shy to review? ;0)**

**Don't forget to check out my Wiki: .com**


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

I am not sure that I am going to continue this story, just because I am not getting as much response to it. I guess it's just not that good. Anyway, I am sure I will come up with something else.

Thanks to those that have read.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**

Okay – after all the messages and reviews I have decided that you all apparently like this story so I am going to continue on with it!

I am in the process of tweaking the next two chapters, so give me a day or so and I shall have those posted.

Thanks for the love everyone!

Inked4Life


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: At long last, another chapter. I have to admit, that I had to rewrite the ones I mentioned having. I did not like the way the story was going, and I had lost some of the inspiration for the story, but then I watched a few episodes and it all came back! Enjoy!**

Swiftly the Heart Falters

Chapter 5

Shreveport, LA - present day

If there was one thing that Heloise hated most was admitting that Eric had done something that she was actually pleased with. She'd rather walk outside at high noon than let him know. Of course, she'd been raised a proper young lady so protocol insisted that she at the very least thank him for the house.

House was such a simple term for the place that he had found for her. It was an Estate really, with beautifully manicured landscaping that stretched for several acres before coming to the large Victorian that had been modified for a homeowner, such as herself. White siding with black shutters, it reminded her of what a Southern Plantation home had once been here in the South. The wrap around porch sported large columns spaced evenly to support the porch roof and white washed metal porch furniture graced locations on either side of the front door, which had been painted a deep blood red. Heloise couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at the irony of the door color.

The interior had been furnished with the bare necessities, the final decor to be chosen by her, which she was thankful. It was one thing to know he had purchased the house for her but to know that he'd also had it decorated to his tastes would have made her feel like a kept woman. Somehow she already felt like that though.

"Does it met with your approval?" Heloise turned at the sound if Eric's voice. Even with her keen senses he still had the annoying ability to sneak up on her. She glanced around and turned her gaze back to his. He stood in the entryway of the living room.

"Ah yes, you are of Noble blood, but while it a simple Maison, it's the best I could do I am afraid." he said, mockingly. Heloise opened her mouth to throw a nasty retort but suddenly her senses picked up the approach of someone...rather some thing. The scent was all wrong for a human. Immediately her fangs withdrew and she flew to the front porch peering out into the inky night surrounding the front drive of her property. Eric too had sensed the approach and had joined her on the porch, coming to stand in front of her, partially blocking her from whomever was coming.

The female who emerged into the moonlight was tall and leggy. Long red hair fell down her back, the soft whisper of the wind causing it to flutter around her. She was certainly beautiful, but what she was, Heloise was still unsure of. She sensed Eric tense even more and glanced at him wondering if he knew her.

"Lovely home you have here." she said coming to a stop near the bottom of the porch steps.

"Yes and now you may leave." Heloise said, tossing propriety to the wind. There was something about this creature she didn't like, she sensed something close to danger emanating from her and Heloise had no wish to deal with her or what she may cause.

"Hmm. Paris? Aristocratic, maybe late 1700's? The accent is still there, not as strong as it once was, I am sure but hard to give up the old things, isn't?" Heloise hissed, not liking herself being dissected by this creature who was still a mystery to her.

"What do you want, Meredith?" Eric asked. His tone was low and not at all friendly. So he did know her, Heloise thought, but how or better yet, why?

"Oh Eric, is that any way to treat a...close old friend? You don't return my calls, so I had to come to you." She said, arching an eyebrow and slowing smiling at him. Heloise was certainly confused. What did this woman want with Eric and what did she mean by 'close friend'?

"What-"Heloise began, stepping forward, about to demand the meaning of this woman's appearance, but Eric placed a hand around her upper arm and pulled her back against his chest.

"No. Go inside, I will take care of this." He murmured and tilted his head to the side nodding towards the doorway. Heloise pivoted slightly, unable to turn completely as she was so close to him and opened her mouth to voice her dissent, when he gave her a look that silenced her. She frowned and giving Meredith one final glance, she huffed into the house, storming into the living room, where she stood arms crossed in front of her breasts.

The nerve of him taking control of a situation, once again, as if it were his place. Heloise rolled her eyes, well technically, it was his place, bought with his money and given to her as a gift. That was beside the point though, this was her house now. If he thought for a moment she was going to tune out the conversation between him and that woman, he was dead wrong.

Eric stood there for a moment, knowing full well that Heloise was listening to the conversation that he would continue with Meredith, and thought about how best to go on, without giving to much information to Heloise. He had no wish for her to know about this woman, though he knew that as soon as he managed to get Meredith to leave, Heloise would pounce on him, demanding answers.

"You always did pick the interesting ones, Eric. She's beautiful, of course, but then again, you always liked the best things." Meredith said, moving forward a few feet, but stopping when Eric growled softly. She smiled widely.

"Why have you come here?" He asked.

"I simply wanted to see you, we have such a history together, I thought maybe we could pick up where we left off." Meredith said.

"History is exactly how I would put it. After what transpired last, I think it's clear just what we have. You've seen the place, now you need to leave." Eric said.

"Shreveport has quite a few attractions, I might stick around for a bit. There's so much to do around here." Meredith said. Eric did not like the way she said that, and glint in her eye. When Meredith turned her head to survey the house, Eric tensed and hissed loudly, moving quickly to stand in front of her, his hand wrapped around her throat, applying just the right amount of pressure to make it count. Meredith's face flashed with anger and she clawed at his hand, her nails doing nothing to his flesh.

"You would do best to put any thoughts of that nature from your head. I protect what is mine, and that especially, is something you will NOT come near. Do I make myself clear, Meredith?" Eric said tensely, his voice slow and full of menace. Meredith did her best at chuckling, the action hard to do with Eric's hand so close to crushing her windpipe. With a flash of her eyes, Eric went flying backwards, the force of the energy Meredith pushed at him, throwing him into one of the columns of the porch, breaking it in half. The column crumbled and the porch roof sagged, it's weight no longer supported in that one area.

Heloise had come to stand on the porch and was crouched in a position to attack. Eric stood and dusting the white plaster of the column from his clothes, he stood next to Heloise. The sound of the car engine was heard first, the lights then coming to light up them up. Eric recognized Bill's car immediately. Meredith turned and acknowledged the approaching car, before turning back to Eric and Heloise.

"Well I can see you have other guests arriving. I will leave you to your invited guests. I will be seeing you soon." Meredith said, and with a wink she turned and walked down the gravel driveway, waving to the car as it passed her. Bill was out of the car and at Eric and Heloise's side instantly, the look on their faces alerting him to some possible danger.

"What is going on?" Bill asked, looking back into the darkness. The woman he had seen walking down the drive now longer there, her scent was slowly disipating.

"Oh no, what happened to the porch?" Sookie asked, getting out of the car, and standing there, pointing to the broken column.

* * *

"Who is she?" Heloise asked Eric. She was in the living room with him, wiping the bits of the shattered column from his clothes and hair. Sookie had insisted on going with Bill when he volunteered to make a quick tour of the grounds to make sure that Meredith had indeed left. Eric stood there silently. When he did not answer, Heloise moved to stand in front of him. She could not deny she was concerned, the evidence apparent on her face.

Eric lifted a hand, and traced the curve of Heloise's face. The skin was so pale and smooth. He felt the shudder run through Heloise's body and bit back the smirk that threatened to show on his lips. He saw her brow crinkly slightly, the questioning look in her eyes as she searched his, wondering what he was doing. He had felt a moment of panic earlier, sheer panic that Meredith would try to take the life of Heloise, a woman who he had come to cherish more than he could possibly understand. That thought still weighed on his mind. The need to protect Heloise stronger than anything he had ever felt before.

Eric could not contain his desire anymore and he lowered his head, his lips seeking hers. At first Heloise tensed, her hands coming to his chest, ready to push him back, but she hesitated and that was all that Eric needed. He deepened the kiss, his tongue running along her lips, seeking entrance into her mouth. She sighed and her lips parted. Eric jumped at the opportunity and thrust his tongue into her mouth, the warm, wet cavern causing him to groan and his arms to tighten around her slender body, pulling her tight against him. He smiled against her mouth when her hands cruised up his chest to burrow into his hair, holding his head to her. His body reacting at her soft moans of pleasure, Eric slowly began to move them until Heloise's back came in contact with the wall. He lifted his lips from hers, only to begin the journey along her neck, nipping at her neck with his fangs.

Heloise felt as if she would implode, the sensations Eric's lips on her almost to much to stand. She arched her back, her hands falling from his hair to slide down his arms and circle round to his chest, her hands gripping his shirt trying to pull him closer than he already was. She sighed in pleasure when one of his hands began the quest down her side, slowly over her clothed torso until he reached her upper thigh. He pulled it up gently so her leg came to rest on his waist, her wide skirt affording her the room to wrap her limb around him. The action brought their lower bodies closer together and they both groaned in pleasure, Eric rocking his hips slightly against her. Just as his hand found the bottom of her skirt and began to slide up her naked leg, the sound of the door opening had them jumping apart.

They were breathing deeply, even though the action was unnecessary. Heloise began to arrange her clothes, to hide the fact that she and Eric had just been engaged in...Heloise closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten. She opened her eyes again to see Eric looking at her intently. He slowly smiled and licked his lips. Heloise could only watch, fascinated, as his tongue slid along his lips. She shook her head and then pushing herself forward, moved passed him and went to seek out Bill and Sookie.

* * *

"I first met Meredith in London. We..became quite close. I knew she was a witch, just not what she was capable of. She's been around for a very long time, over five hundred years to be exact. She's not the typical witch either. She's evil, she enjoys hurting others, human or vampire. She attempted to kill me when I ended our relationship." Eric glanced over at Heloise, registering the anger on the woman's face.

"What does she want now? To pick up where she left off? To kill you?" Bill asked. Eric shrugged. He stood up from the chair and began to pace around the living room.

"I don't know." He stated and Heloise had a feeling that he was hiding something. Maybe he knew what she was after. Heloise watched him standing there, answering Bill's questions regarding the woman. She have listened to the short answers Eric gave, her mind racing, recalling the moment that she and Eric had shared before Sookie and Bill had come into the room.

Why had she not fought him off? She loathed him, right? She could not deny that he was a master at the art of...women, but did she want that? As if sensing her thoughts, Eric turned his head and gave her a look that made her cold body feel warm all over. Heloise turned her head and stared at the wall, avoiding his gaze. She did not want to fall in love with him...but...

**A/N: oooo a cliffy! If I kept going, this chapter would have been WAY to long, so I stopped it there. Don't worry though, the next chapter is final review and edit and will be posted soon.**

**I tried to edit this baby as best as I could, but well, sometimes having a second pair of eyes is best. Let me know if there are any errors!**

**~Inked4Life  
**


	9. Chapter 9

Swiftly the Heart Falters

Chapter 6

London - 1901

Boom, boom, boom. Heloise inhaled a long, unnecessary breath. Boom, boom, boom. Heloise concentrated on the sounds surrounding her. Boom, boom, boom. She smiled slightly and tilted her head to the side, gaining a different view of the place. She had always found it so amazing how a human heart reacted to certain stimuli. In this particular instance, the human heart was beating an erratic, loud beat based on the fear coursing through the humans system. It was a beacon to her, calling her name loudly. She stood silently, taking the few moments to zero in on the sound and with speed only a vampire possessed, she was off and heading up the the stairs of the building.

It was an old abandoned warehouse in the industrial section of the city, set for demolition some time in the near future. It seemed like a good place to hide at the time, lots of rooms, and old crates littering the entire place. Unfortunately for her prey, it was never really about the best place to hide or how fast you could run, because in the end, the prey became simply that - prey.

She paused on the second floor of the building and walked with silent steps towards the right. The second floor was an open floor plan, a space completely surrounded by small windows looking out to the London streets below. Buildings nearby hid most of the charms of London, affording only a view of the warehouses and manufacturing plants in the area. Boxes and crates, long emptied were lining the walls, a thin layer of dirt and dust had fallen on to most everything. She looked down at the floor around her and saw the tell tale evidence of her prey. The widely spaced bootprints in the dusty floor let her know that he had indeed been running in the direction she was headed.

"Je sais que vous êtes ici, je peux sentir ta peur dans l'air. Mmm, vous serez un délice, en effet!"Heloise said. She doubted he understood French, but she was beyond caring at this moment. Her focus was finding him and draining every last bit of blood from his body. She could almost taste it now on her lips and in her mouth and she sighed, knowing soon she would have the pleasure of experiencing it for real.

She had been foolish, trying to curb her feeding habits. She had been silly to think that she could try and survive without blood on a regular basis. The desire now, had become so strong, that it was now all she craved and was all she felt programmed to gain. She had been on a hunting spree, all over London, draining victims and causing panic in the streets; the papers proclaiming a mass murderer on the prowl. She had laughed at the feeble attempts of police force to capture the 'man' that was savagely killing men all across town. A man! Of course, because how could a woman be responsible for such actions? She had laughed in a hysteria brought on by her hunger and continued to hunt down prey. For the past three days the city of London had been in a panic, all the result of something they neither could or would comprehend.

Her patience for hunting down this new victim vanished quickly and with a rush, she came upon him, crouched behind a small tower of crates. He screamed when her fangs ripped into his throat and he tried in vain to fight her off with blows from his fists until at last he could do no more and then, then...he was dead. Heloise dropped the lifeless body to the floor. Her hunger slackened for the time being. She pulled a dainty linen from the sleeve of her dress and dabbed at her mouth, erasing the blood traces. She was a lady after all.

She heard his approach mere seconds before he appeared. She turned and growled at him, letting him know that his presence was not welcome. Of course, Eric was never one to care for what others wished. He was leaning against the wall, his blond hair pulled back in a knot at the base of his neck. He wore the latest fashions, as most of their kind did. It would not do to wear something unacceptable when one was trying to be incognito.

"You have been a very naughty girl, Heloise." Eric said, pushing off from the wall and walking towards her. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Let me be, Eric." She stated lowly, and with her nose in the air, went to pass him, only to be stopped when he grabbed her by her arm and halted her.

"The Queen is not happy. You need to stop this." He said, and then paused staring intently at her. "Blood frenzy. Why have you let yourself get to this point, Heloise?" He asked. She pulled at her arm, but accomplished nothing with his iron-like grip.

"I do not answer to you." Heloise spat. Her eyes were blazing with anger, the need for blood once again coursing through her body. She needed to find a new body to drain. What ensued was probably not the wisest thing Heloise ever had done in her lifetime, and this lifetime, but she was no longer in complete control of her body. The frenzy for feeding had overtaken her senses.

She swung at Eric, causing him to drop her arm and deflect the blow. She lunged at him, growling loudly, intent upon inflicting damage. It was not the smartest idea, she knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, because Eric was far older than her, far more powerful, but she was beyond a point of caring. The battle that began was intense. Each vampire throwing the other across the room, growls of fury echoing throughout the building. Heloise crashed into the wall, leaving a large chuck of the wall to crumble around her. The delicate dress she had chosen to wear was quickly becoming a large mess of ragged tears and shreds. She howled in fury and pushed herself from the wall and ran at Eric, attempting to throw him through the windows, but he sensed her actions, managed to maneuver around her and capture her by locking his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides. He pulled her against his body and she continued to fight against him, unable to break free of his imprisonment.

One moment she was locked against Eric's chest, the next she was pinned to the wall, Eric and her battling with their mouths and tongues for dominance. It was wild and rushed, the need changing from anger to lust pushing them to the limits and further. Eric skimmed her body with his hands, pulling at the hem of her dress. Heloise arched and bringing her hands between their bodies, trailed them down his chest, pushing the jacket he wore to the side, pulling his shirt apart. Buttons pop off the garment, falling to the floor, but neither hesitated. She latched her mouth to his chest, her tongue flicking out of her mouth, eliciting a groan of approval from Eric. She moaned when his hands had finally managed to get through all the obstacles underneath her dress. She slid her hands back up his chest, to his head, where she pulled his hair free of the knot and fisted her hands there, arching her back. He was doing things to her body with his hands that had her whimpering in need, making him smirk.

"Eric." She sighed and he moaned, grabbing one of her hands and putting it between them at the top of his breeches. She understood his silent request and began to undo the buttons, sighing in pleasure when they were finally undone and she was able to push his pants down his hips. With ease, Eric managed to pull both of her legs around his hips and after a brief pause, he thrust into her. Her back arched and she cried out at the intrusion. She'd been ready, but he was far larger than she'd ever thought.

* * *

Later, after Eric had slipped from her and began to adjust his clothing, and she hers, the reality of what just happened came crashing down on her like a bucket of ice water. She had just had sex with a Vampire that she hated. Eric seemed to sense the shift in her mood and gazed her.

"This never happened." Heloise said. "I do not want anything to do with you." Heloise said. Eric arched an eyebrow and smirked.

"To late for that. As far as having anything to do with me, well, I am your guardian, so you will do as I say." Eric said. Heloise hissed at him. "Now, you must come back with me, so that we can take care of you." Eric continued. It was a command, one that Heloise could not ignore. She nodded shortly, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Where are we going?" Heloise asked.

"America."

* * *

**A/N: So I know, it's a bit short, but I wanted to get this out of the way, just to clear up that 'what happened between them?' deal. The whole sex scene was a bit censored, for this chapter, not sure if I want to be too graphic in this story...**

**Anyway, show some love and review. Thanks again for all the positive feedback! **

**Translation: I know you are here, I can smell your fear in the air. Mmm, you will be a tasty treat, indeed!**


	10. Chapter 10

Swiftly the Heart Falters

Chapter 7

Shreveport - present day

Heloise was not sure what was happening to her body. She felt like she was floating outside of it, but unlike most cases where people felt that they were anchored to it, she did not feel as if she had any connection to the body that was currently lying on the table.

The metal gurney had been the only thing to lay her on, how fitting really, it made her chuckle, not that anyone could seem to hear or see her right now. Her body was covered in multiple lacerations, both minor and major. Blood had soaked into the pale cotton her shirt and the skirt she was wearing was a tattered mess. There seemed to be no life in the body that lay there, but then, that was basing it on a human norm, and since she was Vampire, how could you make a comparison?

Heloise stood in the corner, watching the others trying to work on her, hooking lines and needles into her arms, getting ready to infuse her blood with donations that they had managed to find. But would it really help? She had been drained of all the blood in her body, just about. There was nothing really left. Was this not the worse fear? What happened when a Vampire was sucked dry? Did not those humans who bled dry other Vampires for their blood to sell as a new drug end up killing the Vampire eventually, if the blood loss did not kill the Vampire first?

"Can you not see me!" Heloise screamed, trying to beat her fists on the back of Bill. When he did not respond, she cried out in anger and grief and then when Sookie had entered the room, she thought maybe this girl would be able to help her out. Maybe if she could focus her energy, just enough, so that Sookie could pick up something, then maybe, just maybe Sookie could let the others know.

Heloise closed her eyes and began to focus all her energy and thoughts on Sookie, chanting over and over again, 'Sookie, please see me!'. She opened her eyes and hoped that Sookie would hear and look over into her direction, but nothing happened, so she cried out and then tried harder and harder, until she felt she was too weak to stand and slid down the wall of the house and rested on the floor.

"What the hell happened to her?" Bill cried, holding Heloise's hand and trying in vain to will his own strength into the lifeless body on the gurney. He looked around and found a white sponge and began to wipe away at the blood that was smearing her face. It did not offer much, but at least it cleared up her face better to see the features beneath. Colder and far whiter than she had ever been.

"Later, right now, we need to get these transfusions in her and hope this works!" Eric said, grabbing another bag of blood and hooking it up to a line that was connected to a now emptied bag. Vampires have the ability to heal themselves from wounds that their body received, but with the loss of most of the blood in her, the wounds continued to stay open. What little bit of blood that was contained in her body was seeping through the jagged lines scattered across her body.

So this was it. She was finally going to die. What would it be like? She began to think of her Papa and she felt giddy at the prospect of meeting him. Was there a heaven? Would she even gain entrance into the 'Pearly Gates'? The sudden dread that she might not be able to get into Heaven and see her father filled her with such an enormous amount of grief that a single bloody tear rolled from the body lying on the gurney. Heloise gasped when she saw it, and wondered if maybe she could will her body to something. Endless moments later, she gave up, tired and suddenly feeling so weak she wanted to sleep. Yes, she would sleep for a little bit and then maybe...

"Do you even know if this will work?" Sookie cried. Eric looked over at her, a grim expression on his normally stoic face. He had no idea but he had to try.

"If we can get enough into her, then find a human for her to feed from, she might survive." Eric said. Eric stood there, watching the bags of donated blood filter through the IV lines into the various areas of Heloise's body and did something he never thought he would do again - pray. He prayed to Gods that he had long ago come to know from his Elders; Gods he was not even sure existed but needed to do something, anything to bring back the one woman who was so important to him.

"I need to know what happened here, Eric. This is not something a human would do." Bill said, grabbing Eric's arm to gain his attention. Eric hissed at the hand on his arm and then after a moment sighed and straightened up to his full height and turned to Bill.

"It was Meredith." He said.

* * *

Hunger. It was the first thing on Heloise's mind when she finally began to come awake. She needed to feed. She inhaled sharply and the scent washed over her causing her to growl slightly. She opened her eyes and instantly became aware of her surroundings. She was on the gurney, this time inside her body no longer looking at it. The IV's were still hooked to her and she began to tug each one out. The wounds she had sustained had started to heal, slight scars marking where they were, but soon, after she fed, they would be gone. She sat on the edge of the gurney for a moment, then was off. Her speed was slow still, and her senses not as keen has normal, but she soon came to the living room and found the warm bodied human that soon would become her meal.

"Heloise-" Sookie stopped in mid sentence when she noticed the look in Heloise's eyes. Eric stood and came to stand front of Heloise. He grabbed her arms and looked at her.

"Bill, you need to get Sookie as far from here as possible, immediately." Eric said, and Bill did not need to be told again. He slipped his arms under Sookie and carrying her bridal style, rushed from the house. Heloise glared up at Eric.

"That was dinner." She said. Eric shook his head.

"No, we will find you someone that you will not weep for later when you come to your senses." Eric said, and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to the porch before lifting off and flying away from the house. In a few moments they arrived at the club and Eric took her in through the back room. Pam materialized soon thereafter and with a young Goth man in tow.

"Damn, she looks like shit." Pam said. Eric ignored the comment. Heloise took one look at the man, dress in all black with pointy black hair and metal piercing all over his face. She did not care about his appearance. She was focused on the wildly beating pulse and the flutter of that pulse on his throat. Will a primal groan she lunged at him. The man let out a startled squeak and then a louder one when Heloise's fangs sank deep into his throat.

The blood was so warm and slid down her throat making her greedy for more. Part of her warned her that feeding too much would kill the man but then she screamed at that part saying she needed this more than she cared about the life of some nameless human. She continued to pull the blood from the man and after she had drank the last possible drop, she let the lifeless body fall to the floor at her feet. She stood there for a moment, eyes closed, savoring the flavor of his blood, feeling it course through her body. It warmed her slightly and the cloudy feeling that she had been experiencing soon began to lessen.

"Will she be alright?" Pam asked Eric, as though Heloise were not in the room. Heloise turned slowly and smiled slightly at them.

"I will be fine." She replied. Eric frowned and came to stand in front of her. He grabbed her chin and lifted her face to peer into her eyes. The hungry, desperate look had slackened, but he knew she would still need a few more feeding before she was back to her old self. True Blood would not cut it in this particular instance.

"Have one of the men dump the body. She will need to feed again, soon." Eric said to Pam and with a nod to him, she was off. "How are you? Seriously." Eric asked Heloise once Pam had left the room. Not that she wouldn't be able to hear their conversation if she wanted to, he liked the idea of some privacy.

"Weak still, but...better." Heloise answered. It was the truth. She closed her eyes and licked her lips. The bodies of the humans in the main room of the club were offering too much of a temptation to her and she needed to focus on something else. She looked up into Eric's face and was struck by the genuine concern that was evident on his face. It touched her and then made her uncomfortable. He was not supposed to be like this, he had to be arrogant and aloof so that it would irritate her and not want him. She gasped at the train of her thought. She wanted him. That thought scared her more than the events that had led them up to this point. In an effort to draw her thoughts from Eric, she focused on Meredith.

"I want to kill her. Tell me how I can." Heloise said, not needing to tell Eric who.

* * *

Meredith had found a place to hide out. It was an old abandoned home somewhere on the outskirts of town. She was angry - beyond angry. Damn that Vampire and his Human girl friend for showing up so soon and damn Eric for getting there quickly. She'd hoped to have finished off Heloise before they had become aware of what had happened at the house, but Heloise was still alive - if one could call a Vampire alive. She'd just managed to escape the small clearing where she performing her ritual on Heloise when she knew that they were coming. She could sense them coming and knew that they could easily make out Heloise's scent in the secluded spot.

She had watched with hatred as Eric had pulled Heloise down from the makeshift stone altar that Meredith had tied her to. The large silver nails she had used to nail Heloise to the stone had been a bit of a problem for Eric, but he braved the pain and pulled them out as if they were nothing more than tin.

Now she paced the dirty floor of the house and began to think of how to rectify this situation. She'd been stopped from her goal, but she was never one to give up on what she wanted. She would just have come up with another plan. A better plan, one that was completely fail proof. She chuckled as her mind started to work and her next strategy began to play over in her head.

"Oh, I'm good. It's almost scary how good I am." She murmured and then turned and headed out to gather all she would need for her next attempt.

**A/N: I know it's a short chapter, but I didn't want to go any further because of the next chapter. Which I am about to upload as well! I am trying to get the chapters out as quickly as I can, but I don't want to just throw up any ole thing, so please let me know how you feel this story is progressing, if you like how I am taking this story. I am not a "plan ahead" writer. I usually just get an idea on my characters, and then I let the words just come to me when I am typing. I really have no idea how a story will go when I first begin it, hence the reason the summary is so very vague, which someone brought to my attention. ;0)**

**And again, thank you to all of the readers, you taking the time to read this, mark it as a favorite, and to also review it makes me so happy and inspires me to create more!**

**~Inked4Life  
**


	11. Chapter 11

Swiftly the Heart Falters

Chapter 8

Shreveport - one day ago

Jealousy and greed were two vices that drove her to do things others would not. To her, if she saw something she wanted, there was clearly only one thing to to do; get it. It was the 'getting' problem that always seemed to be the hardest. She could not even begin to count the number of times she had seen something another had, whether a material object or a person, and she had done what she had to to obtain it. She was far from being a moral and honest person and had on more than one occasion killed to achieve what she desired.

Right now what she desired was Eric and the obstacle standing in her way this time was a pretty little French Vampire who was bound to be a huge problem. What did she do with problems? She got rid of them. She had not survived for this long without having the power to get her what she wanted done. She was no run of the mill, as seen on TV Witch and she sure as he'll knew how to get rid of a pesky Vampire.

When she had first gone to the Vampire bitch's house, Eric had been there. Meredith had seen how protective he was concerning her then and she knew this Heloise had to be killed. Meredith had let Eric fall through her grasp once before and she would not allow it to happen again.

She had had him for a time, lured him into her bed and was sure that she possessed him and then he had decided he was through with the relationship; thought he could just leave her. That had been a huge error on his part. Meredith did not let anything she considered hers leave - ever. That other Vampire bitch Pam had stepped in, helping her 'father', and a battle had ensued. Meredith had become so enraged that Eric would have the gall to think he could leave her that vowed if she could not have him, no one would. That had been when she tried to burn down the house he was sleeping in. Unfortunately he had not been there.

But that was the past and Meredith was willing to forgive his mistake of leaving her and wanted him back, with the understanding he belonged to her, and her alone. Her first order of business was clearly getting Heloise out of the picture. It took a few days of planning, Eric having been around a lot after her surprise visit. It had given Meredith the opportunity to get acclimated to the surrounding area of the large area. She needed to be at her best in order to preform the task, so she had established a little makeshift altar and cauldron pit some distance in the back wooded area of the house. A simple concealing ward protected her from being detected by anyone or Vampire who would happen to come to close. She had spent several days collecting the necessary ingredients and perfecting the needed chants in order to subdue Heloise so she kill her with chance of Heloise inflicting harm to her person.

For several days she had waited, aggravated, because Eric had spent more time around the house, making sure his precious little Heloise was okay after the mean ole Meredith had come to visit. It began to cause her anger to reach a boiling point, and she would daydream of the possible death scenarios she could play out with Heloise. She would start laughing and grinning, almost seeing the look on Eric's face when it finally happened and he found Heloise's corpse.

She had to do this right though. Eric was currently the Sheriff in this part, and from what she had learned, the Vamp population had increased in Shreveport, so there were many of them and one of her. She was powerful, but she had never taken on a small Vampire army and was sure she wanted to.

The plan was easy enough: she would kill Heloise and then, she would gain control over Eric by one of the concoctions she had been brewing. She had rather not drug him into wanting to be with her, but well it was to be done. Eventually he would come to his senses and she would not need to control him, and then they would live happily forever. Meredith congratulated herself on the sheer simplicity of it. She should have done it this way at first, but she only just found out that a Vampire could be controlled mentally. A nice little discovery for sure and of great benefit to her.

* * *

Heloise had made the trek to Fangtasia, as Eric insisted she do on a regular basis. The place did nothing to thrill her, but the number of Humans that were regulars there offered a tasty little snack, a source of blood far greater than True Blood. She was certainly not going to turn down the opportunity to have a little Human blood, that was for sure. So she was back at her home, unwinding from the night and getting ready to hole herself up in her secret sleeping spot when she felt an unknown presence somewhere in the vicinity. She paused on her way to the basement and stood there, trying to determine the origin of the person that was so close to her home when the front door suddenly crashed open. Heloise was instantly prepared to do battle with whomever had dared to enter. She snarled when Meredith came sauntering into the house, a nasty smirk plastered to her face.

"Uh oh, did I make a mess of that door?" Meredith asked, feigning shock and disappointment. Heloise growled and went to attack but suddenly found herself flying backwards and crashing through the wall that separated the foyer from the living room. She landed with a crash on top of the wooden coffee table, a jagged piece piercing her leg and causing her to howl out in pain.

"Now, now, this is interesting. But there's no need to get forceful, Heloise. You will never survive." Meredith said, making her way into the living room and staring down at her. Heloise grimaced as she pulled the wooden shard from her leg. "Pity, this house was so nice. I don't think it will be too pretty after I am done with you." Meredith continued and reached down and pulled Heloise up. Heloise barely had time to register what was happening before she was thrown again threw another wall, this time crashing into the base of the stairs that led to the upper floor.

Looking down, Heloise cried out when she saw the wood had pierced her chest, dangerously close to her heart. She tried to pull it out, but the loss of blood was beginning to take a toll on her body and she found she had very little strength.

"Oh no, can not have that happen. I don't want to end your life this quickly and to be so simple as a stake through the heart. That's just too 'Buffy' for me. I have far more intended. Oh and it will be far more painful too." Meredith said. She pulled a rope of silver from a bag that she had suddenly had in her hand and wrapped it around Heloise's neck, pulling tightly. Heloise screamed at the pain that flooded through her and she struggled slightly, but it was of no use.

"What do you want?" Heloise choked out. Meredith crouched down in front of her.

"Why, I want Eric of course, and right now, you are in the way of me getting what I want."

* * *

"She's probably out, maybe over at Fangtasia, but I just want to leave this note on her door." Sookie said. Bill pulled the car up to the driveway to Heloise's house. Sookie was about to say more, but when Bill slammed on the brakes, she flew forward almost knocked her head on the dashboard. She cursed and turned to look at Bill and he was not in the car, the driver's side door was open. She turned her head and saw him standing on the front porch, cautiously approaching the front door that Sookie now noticed was not sitting on its hinges. She slowly pulled her seat belt off, looking around the area. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, and slowly opened the door to get out of the vehicle.

"Bill!" She whispered. In a flash he was standing at her side.

"Sookie, get in the car, and use your phone to call over to Fangtasia. Tell Eric he is needed here immediately." Sookie frowned, but at the urgency of Bill's voice, she complied. Something was wrong, and she had the dreadful thought that Heloise was hurt - or even worse.

* * *

Sookie had followed Eric and Bill into the house and she gasped at the destruction she saw. Walls were ruined, with large gaping holes in them. She spotted pools of blood in various areas in the house, furniture all broken and some of the pieces covered in more blood.

"Please tell me that this is not Heloise's blood." Sookie whispered. When neither man spoke, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Did this mean that Heloise was dead?

"She was here." Eric said and Bill nodded his head in agreement, both of them picking up the smell that was Meredith's.

"Question is where did she take Heloise?" Bill asked. Sookie had seen Eric angry, but the look on his face scared the hell out of her.

"She can not be far. We need to search the area. Sookie, call Pam, tell her she is needed here, and to bring some of the boys." Eric said and with that he was off. Sookie turned to Bill and with a nod to her, he too quickly took off to help Eric search for Heloise and if they were lucky, she would still be alive.

* * *

Eric did not have words to express how he felt looking down at the motionless body of Heloise. She was laying on the gurney, with tubing pumping blood back into her and he felt a moment of pure panic thinking that his efforts to try and bring back Heloise were all in vain. He had seen what happened to Vampires who had been drained of their blood. Most of them never came back. That was not an option that he would accept when it came to Heloise.

The fury he felt along with the grief also pushed him to find it hard to stand still. He paced the floor, visions of killing Meredith sweeping through his mind. He had gone through several different ways in which he would kill her, all of them not seeming to be fitting enough for what she had done to this woman. This woman that he...loved. There, he could finally admit it to himself. It was far from an attraction or need to possess her because she was one of the few women-Human and Vampire-who had ever spurned his attentions. He had fallen in love with her and if he was willing to admit it, from the very first moment he saw her. The day he killed her maker.

So many bags later, he finally picked up the change in the beat of her heart. It began to pump faster and he knew then that he had not lost her. He would have wept if he was any other man, but there was somethings he was just not going to do, and crying was one of them.

"I want to kill her. Tell me how I can." Eric studied Heloise for a moment and then slowly nodded his head. He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. Placing a chaste kiss upon her lips, he pulled back and registered the look in her eyes. It was a mixture of confusion and passion, and there in the back, then need to kill; to avenge the attempt on her life.

"It won't be easy. There is someone we need to see first." Eric said, and closing his hand around hers, pulled her from the room.

**A/N: So I promised another chapter and here it is. Hope you like it!**

**~Inked4Life  
**


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